Serial ATA interface control circuit and power management method wherein start and completion of data transfer is monitored during DMA operations using memory control unit
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTakumi Komori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A serial ATA interface interfaces an ASIC with a HDD. A transfer start monitoring unit monitors start of data transfer between the ASIC and the HDD and a transfer completion monitoring unit monitors completion of the data transfer. A power management control unit controls power consumption of the ASIC and the HDD based on monitoring results obtained from the transfer start monitoring unit and the transfer completion monitoring unit.
Claims15
An interface control circuit comprising:
- a memory unit that stores therein data;
- a control unit that has an application function and that includes a memory control unit that controls data transfer with the memory unit;
- a serial ATA interface that interfaces the memory unit and the memory control unit;
- a transfer start monitoring unit that monitors start of data transfer between the memory unit and the memory control unit;
- a transfer completion monitoring unit that monitors completion of the data transfer independently from a central processing unit during a direct memory access write operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data to the memory unit and a direct memory access read operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data from the memory unit;
- and
- a power management control unit that, based on monitoring results obtained from the transfer start monitoring unit and the transfer completion monitoring unit, controls power consumption of the memory unit and the control unit.
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an engine unit that functions as a hardware resource for image processing;
- a memory unit that stores therein image data;
- a control unit that has an application function relating to image processing and that includes a memory control unit that controls data transfer with the memory unit;
- a serial ATA interface that interfaces the memory unit and the memory control unit;
- a transfer start monitoring unit that monitors start of data transfer between the memory unit and the memory control unit;
- a transfer completion monitoring unit that monitors completion of the data transfer independently from a central processing unit during a direct memory access write operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data to the memory unit and a direct memory access read operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data from the memory unit;
- and
- a power management control unit that, based on monitoring results obtained from the transfer start monitoring unit and the transfer completion monitoring unit, controls power consumption of the memory unit and the control unit.
A method of power management implemented in an interface control circuit, the interface control circuit including a memory unit that stores therein data, a control unit that that has an application function and that includes a memory control unit that controls data transfer with the memory unit, and a serial ATA interface that interfaces the memory unit and the memory control unit, the method comprising:
- first monitoring including monitoring start of data transfer between the memory unit and the memory control unit;
- second monitoring including monitoring completion of the data transfer independently from a central processing unit during a direct memory access write operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data to the memory unit and a direct memory access read operation, implemented by the memory control unit, of a predetermined amount of data from the memory unit;
- and
- controlling power consumption of the memory unit and the control unit based on monitoring results obtained at the first monitoring and the second monitoring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.